fight
n. countablen. an occasion when people use physical force or strong words against each other. It can be a serious argument or a sports match like boxing.
n. a physical confrontation between individuals or groups, or a heated verbal disagreement. In a sporting context, it refers to a formal match or bout, particularly in combat sports.
The two players got into a fight during the game.
The referee stopped the fight in the third round after one boxer suffered a heavy blow.
What began as a minor tactical disagreement between the coaches eventually escalated into a public fight that divided the entire fan base.
From Middle English fighten (“to fight”), from Old English feohtan (“to fight, combat, strive”), from Proto-West Germanic fehtan (“to fight”), from Proto-Germanic fehtaną (“to comb, tease, shear, struggle with”), from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- (“to comb, shear”). Cognate with Scots fecht (“to fight”), West Frisian fjochtsje, fjuchte (“to fight”), Dutch vechten (“to fight”), Low German fechten (“to fight”), German fechten (“to fight, fence”), Danish fægte (“to fence, to fight (using blade weapons)”), Norwegian fekte (“to fence”), Swedish fäkta (“to fence, to fight (using blade weapons), to wave vigorously (and carelessly) with one's arms”), Latin pectō (“comb, thrash”, verb), Albanian pjek (“to hit, strive, fight”), Ancient Greek πέκω (pékō, “comb or card wool”, verb). Related also to Old English feht (“wool, shaggy pelt, fleece”).
From Middle English fight, feyght, fiȝt, fecht, from Old English feoht, ġefeoht (“fight”), from Proto-West Germanic fehtan (“to fight”), from Proto-Germanic fehtą, gafehtą (“fight, struggle”), from Proto-Germanic fehtaną (“to struggle with”). Cognate with Dutch gevecht (“fight”), German Gefecht (“fight”).
Commonly takes the prepositions 'with' or 'between' to indicate the participants, and 'about' or 'over' for the cause.
they had a fight about to go outthey had a fight about going outWhen 'fight' is followed by a preposition like 'about', any following action must be in the gerund (-ing) form, not the infinitive.
- 01
bun fight
A debate or disagreement, usually with several parties involved, often political in nature.
- 02
fight a losing battle
To attempt a task or other endeavor in which there is no chance that it will succeed.
- 03
fight fire with fire
To respond to an attack with a similar or identical counter-attack (e.g. to respond to gunfire with reciprocal gunfire).